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Security Best Practices

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Security Checklist

Comprehensive security checklist for system design and implementation

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0 of 19 secured
Authentication
critical

Implement Multi-Factor Authentication

Require multiple forms of verification for user access

Threats Mitigated:

Credential stuffingPassword breachesAccount takeover

Implementation Examples:

  • •SMS/Email OTP codes
  • •Authenticator apps (Google, Authy)
  • •Hardware security keys (YubiKey)
  • •Biometric authentication
Authentication
high

Enforce Strong Password Policies

Implement comprehensive password requirements and validation

Threats Mitigated:

Brute force attacksDictionary attacksCredential reuse

Implementation Examples:

  • •Minimum 12 characters length
  • •Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols
  • •Password history prevention
  • •Regular password rotation
Authentication
critical

Secure Session Management

Implement secure session handling and timeout policies

Threats Mitigated:

Session hijackingSession fixationReplay attacks

Implementation Examples:

  • •Secure session tokens (JWT with proper claims)
  • •Session timeout after inactivity
  • •Session invalidation on logout
  • •Concurrent session limits
Authorization
critical

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Implement granular permission system based on user roles

Threats Mitigated:

Privilege escalationUnauthorized data accessInsider threats

Implementation Examples:

  • •Principle of least privilege
  • •Role hierarchy and inheritance
  • •Resource-level permissions
  • •Dynamic permission evaluation
Data Protection
critical

Encrypt Data at Rest

Encrypt sensitive data stored in databases and file systems

Threats Mitigated:

Data breachesPhysical theftInsider access to raw data

Implementation Examples:

  • •AES-256 encryption for databases
  • •Encrypted file system storage
  • •Key management systems (AWS KMS, HashiCorp Vault)
  • •Transparent data encryption (TDE)
Data Protection
critical

Encrypt Data in Transit

Use TLS/SSL for all data transmission

Threats Mitigated:

Man-in-the-middle attacksEavesdroppingData interception

Implementation Examples:

  • •TLS 1.3 for web traffic
  • •Certificate pinning for mobile apps
  • •End-to-end encryption for sensitive communications
  • •VPN for internal communications
Data Protection
high

Implement Data Classification

Classify and label data based on sensitivity levels

Threats Mitigated:

Data leakageCompliance violationsInappropriate data sharing

Implementation Examples:

  • •Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted levels
  • •Automated data discovery and classification
  • •Data loss prevention (DLP) policies
  • •Retention and disposal policies
Network Security
high

Network Segmentation

Isolate network segments to limit attack spread

Threats Mitigated:

Lateral movementNetwork-based attacksPrivilege escalation

Implementation Examples:

  • •DMZ for public-facing services
  • •Internal network isolation
  • •Micro-segmentation for containers
  • •VLAN separation
Network Security
critical

Proper Firewall Configuration

Configure firewalls with deny-by-default policies

Threats Mitigated:

Unauthorized network accessPort scanningNetwork intrusion

Implementation Examples:

  • •Web Application Firewall (WAF)
  • •Network firewalls with strict rules
  • •Application-level firewalls
  • •Regular rule auditing and cleanup
Network Security
high

DDoS Protection

Implement protection against distributed denial of service attacks

Threats Mitigated:

Service disruptionResource exhaustionAvailability attacks

Implementation Examples:

  • •CDN with DDoS protection (CloudFlare, AWS Shield)
  • •Rate limiting and throttling
  • •Traffic analysis and anomaly detection
  • •Failover and redundancy planning
Application Security
critical

Comprehensive Input Validation

Validate and sanitize all user inputs

Threats Mitigated:

SQL injectionXSS attacksCommand injectionFile upload attacks

Implementation Examples:

  • •Server-side validation for all inputs
  • •SQL injection prevention (parameterized queries)
  • •XSS prevention (output encoding)
  • •File upload validation and scanning
Application Security
high

Secure Coding Practices

Follow secure development lifecycle practices

Threats Mitigated:

Code vulnerabilitiesLogic flawsBusiness logic bypass

Implementation Examples:

  • •OWASP Top 10 compliance
  • •Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
  • •Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
  • •Code review security checklists
Application Security
critical

API Security

Secure API endpoints and communications

Threats Mitigated:

API abuseUnauthorized data accessInjection attacks

Implementation Examples:

  • •OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect
  • •API rate limiting and throttling
  • •API versioning and deprecation
  • •Request/response validation
API Design Checklist
Infrastructure
high

Server Hardening

Secure server configurations and remove unnecessary services

Threats Mitigated:

Server compromisePrivilege escalationService exploitation

Implementation Examples:

  • •Disable unused services and ports
  • •Regular security patches and updates
  • •Secure SSH configuration
  • •File system permissions and access controls
Infrastructure
high

Container Security

Secure containerized applications and orchestration

Threats Mitigated:

Container escapeImage vulnerabilitiesRuntime attacks

Implementation Examples:

  • •Minimal base images and regular updates
  • •Container image scanning
  • •Runtime security monitoring
  • •Kubernetes security policies
Monitoring
critical

Security Monitoring and Logging

Implement comprehensive security event monitoring

Threats Mitigated:

Undetected breachesDelayed incident responseCompliance violations

Implementation Examples:

  • •SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
  • •Real-time threat detection
  • •Audit logging for all security events
  • •Anomaly detection and alerting
Monitoring
high

Incident Response Plan

Prepare and maintain incident response procedures

Threats Mitigated:

Prolonged security incidentsData lossRegulatory penalties

Implementation Examples:

  • •Incident response team and roles
  • •Communication and escalation procedures
  • •Forensic analysis capabilities
  • •Recovery and business continuity plans
Compliance
high

Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with relevant security standards

Threats Mitigated:

Regulatory finesLegal liabilityReputation damage

Implementation Examples:

  • •GDPR for data protection
  • •SOC 2 for service organizations
  • •ISO 27001 for information security
  • •PCI DSS for payment processing
Governance
medium

Security Awareness Training

Train employees on security best practices

Threats Mitigated:

Human errorSocial engineeringInsider threats

Implementation Examples:

  • •Phishing awareness training
  • •Social engineering prevention
  • •Secure coding training for developers
  • •Regular security updates and communications

Security Posture Summary

0/9
critical Priority
0/9
high Priority
0/1
medium Priority
0/0
low Priority

Security Alert: Critical and High priority items are essential for basic security posture. Complete these first to protect against the most common and dangerous threats. Medium and Low priority items provide defense-in-depth.

Related Security Resources

API Security Checklist

Security considerations for API design and implementation

OAuth 2.0 Guide

Implement secure authentication and authorization

Security Monitoring

Key security metrics and monitoring strategies